Samuel de Champlain Facts and Biography

Samuel de Champlain Biography Summary: Samuel de Champlain (1574 - 1635) was the French explorer who was famous for discovering Lake Champlain on the border of present day New York and Vermont and as the Founder of Quebec City. Samuel de Champlain was a simple man who would become known as “The Father of New France”. He became the founder of Quebec City and would also be the first person to accurately map the coastal area. Samuel de Champlain was also the first European to explore the Great Lakes and describe them in such detail. Samuel de Champlain became well known to and by the indigenous population, including the Huron and the Algonquin and would prove useful in assisting with negotiations between these tribes and the Iroquois.

He made his life in this city, raised it from the ground and would watch it flourish until he died there in 1635.

Samuel de Champlain Fact Sheet: Who was Samuel de Champlain? The following short biography and fact sheet provides interesting facts about the life, times and history of Samuel de Champlain.

Samuel de Champlain Fact File Biography: Lifespan: 1574 - 1635 *** Full Name: Samuel de Champlain *** Occupation: French Navigator, Cartographer, Draughtsman, Explorer, Geographer, Ethnologies, Soldier, Chronicler and Diplomat *** Date of Birth: Samuel de Champlain was born in 1574 and was baptized on August 13th, the exact date of his birth is unknown *** Place of Birth: Samuel de Champlain was born in Aunis, France *** Family background: His father was Antoine Champlain and his mother Marguerite Le Roy. The male line of the family had a strong link to the sea as mariners, his father and uncles on his maternal side were navigators or sailors *** Early life and childhood: Samuel de Champlain grew up in Brouage which was under Catholic control in a Protestant region, it is unclear whether the family were Catholic or Protestant *** Education: Samuel de Champlain began his education at home although he did not learn Ancient Greek or Latin ***

Samuel de Champlain Fact 1: Samuel de Champlain was born in August of 1574 during the 16th century period in history when the Renaissance period was at its peak but during the same period religious persecution was rife.

Samuel de Champlain Fact 2: He also learnt how to handle a weapon as being attacked at sea was just as likely as on dry land.

Samuel de Champlain Fact 3: His first-hand experience came fighting for King Henry IV in the religious was between 1594/1595 to 1598 in Brittany.

Samuel de Champlain Fact 4: Samuel de Champlain began his time in the army as a quartermaster which was someone who was responsible for caring and feeding of the horses.

Samuel de Champlain Fact 5: His first real voyage took place in 1598 with his uncle, a navigator aboard a ship chartered to transport to Cádiz Spanish troops prior to the Treaty of Vervins.

Samuel de Champlain Fact 6: His next great adventure, lasting two years, took Samuel de Champlain to the West Indies, again on his uncle’s ship but without his uncle present.

Samuel de Champlain Fact 7: Upon his return to Cádiz in 1600 his uncle had taken a turn for the worse and was very ill, requesting his nephew look after his business affairs. Upon his uncle’s death he inherited his estate near La Fayette Rochelle, business properties in Spain and merchant ship, the inheritance was considerably vast and left Samuel de Champlain self-sufficient and not reliant on any of the usual money lenders.

Samuel de Champlain Fact 8: In King Henry’s employ as a geographer, he travelled France’s ports gathering information regarding North America through the fisherman that travelled those waters.

Samuel de Champlain Fact 9: With the King’s permission Samuel de Champlain was accepted on board Aymar de Chaste’s next voyage on a fur trading expedition at which time he met and became lifelong friends with Francois Grave Du Pont.

Samuel de Champlain Fact 10: Du Pont studiously educated Samuel de Champlain on the navigation of the North Americas and included Saint Lawrence River.

Samuel de Champlain Fact 11: On this trip Samuel de Champlain mapped his journey which was published in 1603.

Samuel de Champlain Fact 12: After returning to France in 1603 Samuel de Champlain set out on another expedition to New France in spring of 1604.

Samuel de Champlain Fact 13: This expedition was led by Pierre Dugua de Mons. Having spent the winter on the Saint Croix Island having endured a rather harsh winter they relocated the settlement to what would become established as Port Royal.

Samuel de Champlain Fact 14: Over the next couple of years Samuel de Champlain continued his exploration of the southern coast of North America as far south as Cape Cod.

Samuel de Champlain Fact 15: In July of 1608 they arrived at the Point of Quebec and started to build three wooden structures each with two floors. This would later become known as Quebec City.

Samuel de Champlain Fact 16: News would finally reach Quebec of the assassination of King Henry and because his young son Louis XIII was only nine years old his wife Marie de’Medici would rule on his behalf. She was very much a staunch Catholic and had not time or interest in New France and forbade any of the Protestant financial backers to attend court.

Samuel de Champlain Fact 17: Upon hearing this news Samuel de Champlain returned to France in 1610.

Samuel de Champlain Fact 18: By 1613 Samuel de Champlain had returned to New France and was exploring the Ottawa River, the Huron country and was hoping to find the northern sea.

Samuel de Champlain Fact 19: He proceeded in spending the new few years in the company of the Huron, learning their culture, they ways, their manners and customs before briefly returning to France.

Samuel de Champlain Fact 20: Upon his return to New France, Samuel de Champlain would no longer be the explorer but instead he continued to formulate the structure and building of Quebec City.

Samuel de Champlain Fact 21: He returned again to France in 1624 and this time on the return journey he was accompanied by not only supplies but colonists as well.

Samuel de Champlain Fact 22: In 1628 with war between England and France, Charles I of England had issued letters of marque authorizing English ships to capture French ones and its North American colonies. Although Samuel de Champlain bluffed about the amount of ammunition he had to protect his city and although his bluff initially worked, instead the British targeted supply ships.

Samuel de Champlain Fact 23: Once the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye was signed and Quebec was formally given back to the French the area began to settled down once more.

Samuel de Champlain Fact 24: Returning from his final trip to France, after a four year absence, the area was again rebuilt, bigger and stronger than previously. For all intents and purposes Samuel de Champlain was looked upon as the governor, although it was the one title he was not given by Cardinal de Richelieu.

Samuel de Champlain Fact 25: Having been struck down by a sever stroke in October of 1635 it was not until December 25, 1935 that Samuel de Champlain died. He was buried locally the church graveyard.

Influence and Legacy: His legacy really speaks for itself, Quebec City is the capital of the Canadian Province of Quebec and today it is primarily still French speaking with a population in excess of seven million.

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